Formless Hope
by Courtbcpsmskjjmd
Summary: Zuko is the banished Prince of the Fire Nation, forced to live out the rest of his life in Ba Sing Se. But who will he meet there that will turn his whole world upside down and make him rethink his destiny? Pre Boy in the Iceburge, but older ages. Read to find out. Full Sumary Inside! Please Read!
1. A Hopeful Meeting

Let me just state now, that I don't own anything regarding A:TLA, because if I did, Zutara would have happened.

Summary- Zuko is the banished prince of the Fire Nation, destined to pursue a life of hardship and looking over his shoulder. Finally realizing his search for the Avatar was nothing more than a wild goose chase, he says goodbye to his Uncle Iroh and sets a course for Ba Sing Se. There, he is forced to search for a job to secure his next meal. But who might he meet while he's in the legendary city? And what journey will this person take him on, physically and emotionally? Zuko is discovering that, though he may not ever have his old life back, and can start a new one with this amazing girl by his side. But will it last? Will their life together be faced with difficult challenges that bring forth his old self? Who might enter the scene and force him to choose between his new life and his birthright?

Please Enjoy!

Formless Hope

Chapter I

A Hopeful Meeting

Zuko picked at his bowl of spiced noodles thoughtfully. If he managed to land a decent job here, this would be the first of many good meals to come. But if he didn't get a job, this would be the last. He savored each bight as if it were his last, because there was no way to know. The spices weren't nearly as heavy as he would have liked, but that was one of the many great things he left in the Fire Nation, good food.

Remembering his home added to his worries. With his scar it would be easy to identify him, but would anyone think the banished prince was hiding in Ba Sing Se? Only the Dai Li would dare try and capture him. That alone was reason enough to keep an eye on his back.

He sighed.

"Um, hi?" He looked up to see a waitress; she was around his age, wearing the custom green dressings with a dark green apron, her hair down in a long braid that swept across her shoulder. What shocked him were her bright blue eyes, they weren't common in the Earth Kingdom, and only a few people were born with blue eyes in the Fire Nation, normally of Water Tribe decent.

She gave him a sweet smile, her round face kind and warm. "You look upset, is there anything I can do to help?" He almost snapped at her to leave him alone, but that would cause a scene, which was the last thing he wanted.

"Um, I don't think so, but you're welcome to try." _Always_ _be nice to a lady_, his Uncle's voice told him in his head.

"Ok," she smiled again, sitting down across from him. "Is it about a girl?" she suggested. Zuko almost snorted, but just shook his head. "A boy?" His eyes widened at her implication.

"No, no. Nothing romantic." He cleared.

"Then why don't you tell me what's going on and I'll see what I can do." She said it so sweetly he almost wanted to tell her his entire life story, _almost_. Instead he went with his immediate problem.

"I'm looking for a job, and if I don't get one soon then…" he wasn't sure what he'd do after that. Maybe he could find his Uncle and resume his search for the Avatar. But that was none of the girls business. Besides, he'd just gotten to Ba Sing Se after abandoning Uncle Iroh, he wasn't going to give up so easily. Even the banished prince of the Fire Nation should be given the chance at a normal life, but then again, when was life fair?

"Hmm," she tapped her chin and bit her lip. For a moment, he thought, she looked kind of cute, but he quickly regained focus on why he was even talking to her in the first place. "I know of a place that in need of a bus boy, maybe he'll hire you."

"What's the place?" he asked, not wanting to sound too hopeful. She smiled kindly and pulled out her note pad for taking orders and wrote an address down.

"It's a tea shop here in the lower ring." She said. He smiled at that, though he wasn't sure why. Maybe Uncle's tea skills had rub off on him over the years? "Tell the owner Katara sent you." She handed him the paper.

"_Katara_? That doesn't sound like an Earth Kingdom name." He raised an eyebrow at her knowingly.

A light shade of pink rushed over her cheeks. "That's because it's not. I'm from the Southern Water Tribe."

"You must have traveled far to get here, not alone I'm assuming." _No betrothal necklace, so she must not be married…_ He thought.

"Me and my brother, he's a great map reader so it didn't take us too long, just a few weeks."

Zuko wished he'd had him during his own travels. He had gotten lost frequently, never once asking for directions, either out of fear they'd recognize him or pride. The later was more likely.

"What about you?" She asked, hopefully not questioning if he was Fire Nation or not. Most people in the lower ring were refugees from other parts of the Earth Kingdom, so it wasn't uncommon for people to discuss their homelands.

"Ugh, where do I start?" Obviously he couldn't start anywhere, but he didn't realize that till the words had come out, he might not have enough time to think of a believable lie.

"How 'bout with your name?" She looked at him innocently, there was no possible way she could be a Fire Nation spy, or even an assassin. But better safe than dead, or worse, captured by Azula…

"Oh. Um… Lee." It was common in the Fire Nation so why not here? "It's not as original as Katara, or as beautiful." _Where did that come from!_ She blushed and looked down at her hands. _Maybe I'm smoother than I realized, _he thought with a touch of pride.

"So, um, you're from the Earth Kingdome?" Katara asked. He nodded. "That's nice, at least you didn't have to travel far." He nodded. "Where did you live before you came to Ba Sing Se?" He froze. _What was that big town I passed through?_ He thought.

"Goaling." He spat the first town name that came to his mind.

"Really?" She sounded surprised, "Me and my brother have been there, it was a really nice city, why would you want to leave?" _crap._

"My, uh, Dad. He kicked me out." _Close enough_, he was never good a lying. She adjusted her position.

"Why would he do that?" she asked cautiously, as though afraid he'd be a criminal.

"He, um, never liked me. And I spoke out of line so…" _This might actually work, _he thought to himself.

"That doesn't sound fair, what was so out of line that he threw you out because of it?" _This girl is too smart, __Zuko thought with agitation. __If she wasn't so pretty I'd tell her to mind her own business and scram. _

"Um, my, uh, Mother." Zuko answered. _Yeah, that's close enough._ She looked down again.

"I understand. The Fire Nation took my Mother away from me," she reached for something on her neck but didn't find it and dropped her hand.

"I'm sorry," he said in a husky voice, "That's something we have in common." She smiled a little sadly and started to say something when a shrill voice called her from the kitchen.

"That's my que." She shrugged and got up from the table. "It was really nice talking to you Lee."

"Likewise."

Katara gave him one last smile before retreating to the kitchen. _It _was_ nice talking to her,_ he thought, taking one last bite of noodles.

The Tea Shop was small, hardly enough room for six tables. The owner was a short man with a hat, and the typical style of facial hair common among the Earth Kingdome.

"So you're looking for a job, Eh?" he eyed Zuko suspiciously.

"Yes, uh, Katara said you were looking for a bus boy?"

"Oh, Katara sent you?" the man smiled exuberantly and clapped his hands together. "Well then, you've got the job." The relief Zuko felt was beyond words. He could eat tonight. "You start immediately. I think I have an apron in the back."

Zuko made a mental note to thank Katara the next time he saw her.

O0o0o

Katara POV

I couldn't wait to see if Lee got the job at my favorite Teashop. Pao, the owner, says I'm his best customer and wants me to work for him. I declined his offer to hire me; it didn't pay as well as being a waitress at one of the nicer restaurants in the lower ring, though it would be nice not to get hit on every night. Luckily Sokka won't allow me to work in a tavern, which would be much worse.

As I sat down at my usual table by the counter, I saw exactly what I came for.

Lee gave me a crooked grin from the kitchen where he was washing dishes. I again noticed the scar across his eye, probably from a Firebender. My curiosity was going to get the better of me if I became friends with this boy. He sure is handsome.

"The usual?" Pao asked, startling me. He stood beside my table with a note pad ready.

"Oh, um, yes." I blushed; embarrassed that he'd taken me by surprise.

"I must thank you Katara, the boy you sent me is quite the hard worker. I wish the two of you the best," he winked and was gone before I could reply.

Lee finished washing, told something to Pao, and came to sit with me.

"I'll owe you for the rest of my life," he smiled crookedly and I couldn't help but blush.

"I'll remember that," I promised. Pao appeared and sat my cup in front of me, along with a little glass cup of warm honey.

"Don't let me interrupt," Pao looked at us happily. "But I am curious, should I warn your brother about what you're bringing home?" I gasped and blushed, Lee looked down at his hands.

"You don't have to warn Sokka, not because Lee's a good guy, which I'm not saying he isn't, but because we're not together, I mean we're together as in sitting together but not-"

"He gets it," Lee interrupted my rambling; I thanked him silently in my head. Pao just smiled knowingly and returned to his work.

"I'm sorry," I said. Lee chuckled again.

"You're blushing," he stated, causing said blush to darken.

"I know I hate it," I forgot to blow on my steaming hot tea and as I sipped it burned my tongue. I can't believe I'm embarrassing myself so much.

"I don't, I think it's cute." He said with a smile. _Aww…_ I couldn't help a giggle, _what's with all this girly stuff all of a sudden? _I thought.

"So how do you know Pao?" He asked, obviously just as aware of the awkward situation as I was.

"I come here a lot," I told him. "To think about my destiny and all that," I said sarcastically, he chuckled.

"What have you come up with so far?" I thought for a moment. Should I tell him about mine and Sokka's game plan? It couldn't hurt right? He already knows I'm from the Water Tribe; it shouldn't be too much of a shock… right?

As I deliberated he stared at me strangely, I ignored it.

"Actually, me and my brother kind of have a plan for our immediate future," I hesitated.

"What's that?" He sounded truly interested; that was a first, most of the guys I talked to hardly listened when I spoke; just stared at my midsection and nodded at the right times.

"Well, you see, I'm sort of… A Waterbender." I bit my lip, unsure of how he would take it. He didn't look surprised at all.

"I had a feeling you might be a bender," he smirked at me. He could tell I was a bender? Had he ever seen me practice? That was unlikely considering I only practiced in the bathhouse, and he didn't seem like the type to spy on girls while they were bathing. "So I'm guessing your plan has something to do with finding a master?"

"How'd you know?" I gawked at him. He blinked a few times.

"The last I heard was that the Southern Water Tribe was all but extinct, so I assumed that meant very few masters?" He asked carefully, I could see the worry in his eyes and the slight twitch of his scared eye brow.

"You're almost right. Actually, there are no masters. You're looking at the last Waterbender from the whole South Pole." Again, he didn't look surprised.

"Fire Nation?" He guessed.

"Yeah," I said sadly, reaching for my mother's necklace, but, of course, it wasn't there.

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Reach for something on your neck, then drop your hand as if it's gone?" He noticed that?

"I used to wear my mother's betrothal necklace, it's the only piece of her I have left." I looked down at my hands.

"Why aren't you wearing it anymore?"

"Because… Sokka has this crazy idea that one day some rich man is going to come and ask me to marry him, but that he won't do that if I already have a betrothal necklace." I rolled my eyes to show how much I believed that was going to happen. It was almost laughable.

Sokka had my necklace now. It was with his boomerang and all our money. Luckily Sokka was smart enough to hide our most important possessions in a place no one would ever look; they were under our apartment flooring. Sokka had pulled up the wood slats and sat all our stuff there, then put a rug over the spot where he pulled up the wood, not that you could tell that anyone had pulled them up in the first place.

"That's smart, he must care about you a lot."

"He does," I agreed. "But I'm his responsibility. He has to take care of me because that's what our father told him to do." This frustrated me, though I knew it was true. Sokka was smart and watched out for me, we took care of each other. He was the protector who brought home the food. I cooked the food, did all the chores, had my own job that paid for the rent, and made sure he woke up so he could to get his job.

I wasn't exactly sure who got the short end of the stick.

"I'm sure that's not the only reason," he hesitated, "Too bad I couldn't have been more like your brother."

"You have younger siblings?" He looked reluctant to answer, like he hadn't meant for that bit of information to slip.

"Just a sister, but we don't get along, not in the slightest." He made a face and I guessed his hatred for his sister ran deep.

"Why-"

"Back to work, Lee." Pao called from the counter. Lee grinned at me.

"How about we pick this up later, what are you doing tonight?" I almost squealed with eagerness.

"Nothing," I must be smiling like an idiot, I thought.

"Good, meet me at that bridge over there?" He pointed out the window and I nodded in acknowledgment. "Great, I'll see you later."

_Did that just happen? Do I have a date tonight?_

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	2. Hope Unfavorable

Chapter 2

Hope Unfavorable

Katara's POV

It was early evening; though it looked almost like nighttime. Having just gotten off work after serving a large party for an eight-year-old brat, I was drained of all energy and wanted nothing more than to sink into my loving bed and sleep for the rest of my life. Though I was too excited about my date tonight to even try falling asleep.

I walked quickly down the dark and deserted road to mine and Sokka's temporary home.

Thinking of our one bedroom apartment, I remembered when we had decided to rent it. At the time Sokka only worked part time for a fishing company; they caught the fish near where the ferries dropped, then sold them to the merchants in Ba Sing Se.

As soon as we walked into this particular apartment, I knew it was exactly what we needed. Just big enough that we wouldn't feel crowded, but just small enough that if I were alone I wouldn't feel scared.

After that I just had to convince Sokka to allow me to have my own job and pay for half the rent. This was pretty simple; my only argument was that he would know exactly where I was for most of the day. After that all he had to do was write his name on a sheet of paper, acknowledging that he would be the owner of the apartment and that all bills would be made out to him. Though this bothered me, I bit my tongue and pretended I was mute. Something I was never good at but forced to practice.

Shortly after we moved in Sokka got promoted to full time, and with it, a bigger paycheck. Sokka was able to relax knowing we had enough money to eat. Which, consequently, gave me the little bit of freedom I needed.

It was starting to get dark as my thoughts drifted as I mindlessly crept through the narrow alleyway towards said apartment. It was muddy tonight, the rain having ceased though the rooftops still dripped. I stepped over deep puddles and around overflowing rain barrels to get to my home.

As I approached the door to our apartment, a glimmer of light caught my eye and I looked up from the ground, where I had been focusing on not getting dirty. My eyes widened as I saw our door, the one with the very obvious split in the knob where someone had tried to open it with a crowbar. Ironically, Sokka had done that when we had accidentally gotten locked out. But this time there were people inside.

For a moment I thought that Sokka could have been home, but Sokka shouldn't have gotten off until much later, he worked the graveyard shift, and usually when he got off early he'd come to the restaurant to bring me home.

From inside I could hear male voices, muffled by the thick wooden door, and footsteps coming closer.

My heart sped up. Without even knowing the basics of Waterbending, I had no chance of winning in a fight. So I turned and ran for the main road, ignoring the loud splashes and the freezing cold water soaking my pants and skirt.

Behind me I heard the men's voices yell at me. I sprinted as fast as my feet could carry me while piled with ten pounds of mud.

I mentally cursed myself for thinking something like this would never happen and for ignoring Sokka when he had asked if I'd prefer the apartment closer to the main road. I'd shrugged it off, complaining that the road would be too noisy during the day when he was sleeping.

I could almost see the entrance to the alley, the sweet opening that meant nothing could harm me once I was outside. If only I wasn't so naïve. But before I could get to the road a pillar of earth shot up in front of me, blocking my way and causing me to fall backwards. A strong hand pulled me by the collar and I was yanked to a standing position as the fabric around my neck cut off my air supply.

"Please, just leave me alone." I gagged, my eyes searched frantically for any source of water, though I was ignorant to the drenched clothes I wore, I found a nearby rain barrel and pulled the contents towards me. Never before had I bent water that I couldn't see, and if I weren't in a life or death situation I would have been beaming with pride.

The barrel shattered, and my captor released me just long enough for me to sprint forward with all my will, only to trip over my mud caked feet and fall flat on my face in the sticky dirt. My senses overwhelmed with the smell of fresh mud, I scrambled to my knees in a hopeless attempt at escaping.

Suddenly two more men jumped off the roof and landed in front of me, and the man behind me pinned my arms behind my back and whispered something in my ear that if I cooperated I wouldn't get hurt.

0o0o0

_Where is she? _Zuko thought for the umpteenth time that night. _She seemed so eager to meet me here…_ Zuko searched the faces nearby, the numbers thinning as the day crept to an end and the Sun left the sky and was replaced by a full moon.

He sighed when it was nearly midnight, the moon high above his head reminded him of the late hour.

After kicking some rocks into the slow moving stream, he stood up from leaning on the railing, and did one last sweep of the area, looking for the familiar ocean blue eyes. The only people he saw were a young couple kissing by the light post, an old homeless man sleeping on a bench, and a cricket; making himself known by his constant chips that were itching at Zuko's last nerves.

He just couldn't believe she would stand him up like this. She couldn't possibly think she was too good for him, for Agni's sake, he was the Fire Prince! Or, at least, he used to be.

Now, he supposed, he was no more than a peasant with a dark past and royal bloodline, but that didn't mean she could treat him this way!

_Maybe something came up,_ he tried to convince himself, _maybe her brother came home with big news and they're on their way to find a Waterbending Master right now. _But as much as he wanted to believe it, he was still angry.

Angry at Katara for standing him up, angry at the Earth Kingdom for not surrendering when his Uncle tried to concur it, angry at that cricket that was chirping its way closer to extinction, and angry at himself for being stupid enough to think he might actually have a life here and might have actually found a nice girl he really liked.

Because of all this anger Zuko didn't think twice when a young woman came up to him and started flirting. She caressed his arm and batted her eyelashes, her lips promising sweet things and forgetting. He never discovered her name, or didn't care, because it didn't matter.

0o0o

A couple nights after being stood up Zuko celebrated his first paycheck from his first job ever in his lifetime. That was a little sad for a seventeen year old.

He went to the restaurant where Katara worked; subconsciously hoping to see her while consciously he was hoping she wasn't working tonight. Sitting at a table, he waited for a waitress. His subconscious won when he saw her back, her dark brown hair cascading to her lower back in smooth waves that reminded him of living at sea.

She was standing at a table on the other side of the room, taking an order for an older couple that looked slightly uneasy, but Zuko ignored it. He quickly averted his gaze before she turned and saw him staring at the table, refusing to look her in the eye.

"Hello Lee," she sounded truly happy to see him, and he briefly regretted being mad at her. But when he looked up at her face he nearly jumped, forgetting any reason to be upset.

She had fresh cuts along her jaw, deep purple bruises around her left eye, and her upper lip was cut. Her expression was apologetic, and when he stood up to face her she looked down at her hands.

"Katara, what happened to you?" He asked abruptly, forgetting everything he'd planned on saying to her. She didn't look up at him and he briefly noticed he was a head taller than her.

"It's nothing really," he gently grabbed her chin to get a better look at her injuries. He couldn't imagine who could do such a thing to that beautiful face. Her bright blue eyes were no longer gleaming and happy, now they looked full of pain and fear. Zuko knew in the back of his mind what must have happened when she had left work yesterday and went home to her brother. When she spoke of him earlier it was in annoyance, maybe it ran deeper than that…

"Of course it's something. How'd this happen?" she didn't try and break free of his grasp, and for a slip second he could have sworn she leaned into his hand.

"Just a mugging gone wrong, nothing serious." Katara pushed his hand away. She needed help; he was going to help her by any means possible. He owed her that much.

"Who did this to you?" he didn't notice the multiple eyes on them, he just wanted to know who's ass he was going to kick. His connection to this girl may be thin, but it was his duty as a gentleman to make sure the skum of the Earth didn't get big heads. Hurting an innocent girl was something no one should get away with, another reason why he refused to live in the Fire Nation Colonies in the Earth Kingdome.

"L-Lee, it's not-" she took a raged breath, "People are staring." Zuko sighed. The last thing he needed was to draw attention to himself. As much as he wanted to know who hurt her, it would only ruin her life as well as his if someone recognized him.

"When do you get off?" He asked grudgingly.

o0o0o

She led him silently through the nighttime air, down dark alleyways and behind stone buildings. Her footsteps were heavy and loud next to his silent step of a trained bender.

After waiting for her to speak for nearly half their trip, he decided she needed some prompting.

"So, um, where are we going exactly?" He asked.

She pulled at her hair nervously. "To my apartment, I'm not allowed to walk home alone at night anymore." Zuko could understand the reasoning behind that.

She led him down a dark, muddy alleyway, and he waited until they were at the door of her and her brother's apartment to start asking -or rather, demanding- answers.

"When are you going to give me and explanation?"

"Why do you think you deserve an explanation?" She snapped, not missing a beat. He frowned at her and gave his truthful answer.

"Because I care about what happens to you. I don't know why but I do. It's not right for a girl to be hurt like this, and it's my duty as a gentleman to make sure other men know that too." She opened her mouth as if to reply, but no words escaped. Instead, she gulped and flinched a little when he brushed back the stray hairs that hid her face from him. In the light from the small window above the door he could see all her fresh wounds. "I'm sorry, Katara."

"For what?" She visibly tensed.

"For what happened to you." She relaxed and looked down at her feet, "I can't imagine what you must have gone through." He spoke softly, trying as hard as he could to sound comforting; it was new ground for him.

"Can we not talk about it?" she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. "I don't want to think about it right now." He nodded understandingly, he remembered what it was like after he got his scar; he hadn't wanted to talk to anyone for days. Of course, she wasn't raised in the Fire Nation, where any display of emotion was considered weakness.

They stood in awkward silence for a few moments before he blurted out: "So… Do you want to have that date now?" it was out before he could stop it, and he blushed. She looked up at him and giggled, also blushing. "I mean, if you don't want to that would be fine with me, I was just asking because-"

"I would love to," She interrupted.

He smiled crookedly at her, causing her to look down and blush. "Just let me write a quick note to my brother." She pulled a key out of her pocket and unlocked the door; he leaned against the stone wall to wait for her outside. "You don't have to wait out here," she smiled at him and opened the door, leading the way in.

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	3. Hoping for More

A/N: I really hope you like this chapter, please tell me how I did because I'm not so sure about it.

Chapter 3

Hoping For More

0o0o0o

Katara's POV

As I unlocked the door and got a look at the remnants of the inside, I immediately shut it and turned to face Lee with an embarrassed smile. He gave me a confused look but I just shook my head nervously.

"Never mind what I said, you should wait out here." I didn't give him long to reply, I had already slipped inside to retrieve a scrap of parchment so I could write my note to Sokka.

The reason I hadn't wanted Lee to come inside may have been silly, but I couldn't let him see the entire one bedroom mess that used to be clean and comfortable.

I hadn't gotten around to cleaning up after the other night, and all the furniture was either turned over on its side or broken into splintery shards of wood and glass. The curtains I had sewn from blue Water Tribe material where ripped and lay strew across the floor along with mine and Sokka's clothing.

Sighing, I quickly searched the room for a scrap of parchment that I could use to write on. Sokka wouldn't be surprised by the mess, considering he already knew every detail. He had come to my rescue just moments after the robbers had escaped. If I weren't his responsibility, I would owe him for the rest of my life by now. I couldn't imagine what he thought when he saw me lying there terrified and shivering with blood running down my face...

I shuddered at the fresh memory, quickly scrawling the note; _I'm fine, going somewhere with a friend, don't wait up for me. I'm safe -K._

I rushed back outside, seeing Lee leaning against the wall with a somber look. I tried to give him a reassuring smile, but he had probably gotten a glimpse of the interior when I had come back outside. He just frowned and held his arm out for me, I took it and we walked back to the street in awkward silence.

0o0o0o

He didn't want to think about what he had seen; he knew if he thought too much about it, he would start getting angry, and that was the last thing he wanted to do when he was near Katara. But just that small glimpse… What _had _happened? He couldn't ask, and he knew she wouldn't tell some stranger who felt the need to protect her. All he could do was clench his teeth and focus on _her_. Though the reminder of what she must have gone through was written all over her face in fresh cuts and bruises.

"Lee?" She asked hesitantly after what seemed like forever. He glanced at her beside him, and gave a small smile, silently telling her he was listening. "Can we pretend nothing happened?" She sounded desperate, wanting just as much as he did for this to be a normal date. He nodded to her.

"No problem," he said, leading her down a side road where a tavern was booming with voices while the one across from it was blaring heavy music.

In the back of his mind he remembered hating those kinds of restaurants, and mostly he still did.

He felt Katara shiver beside him, and was about to ask if she was cold when she asked: "We're not going anywhere like that, are we?" She gestured to one of the adult restaurants on the street. He raised his eyebrows when he realized the connection. He mentally kicked himself for not being more thoughtful.

"Of course not," he answered. Katara sighed with relief. "I'm not that adventurous on the first date," he warned her, and she laughed. "I hope you don't mind, but I know of a small coffee shop where we can talk." She looked at him questioningly. "You've never had coffee?" she shook her head. "It's a cheaper kind of tea, made out of beans instead of leaves." She scrunched up her nose, and he noted how cute she looked. He smirked. "It's not as bad as it sounds." She raised an eyebrow at him and he gave her a crooked smile, letting go of her arm to take her hand instead.

0o0o0

_Coffee? _Was he serious? I'd never heard of it before, but as soon as we walked into the small shop, I could smell the intoxicating aroma of said _coffee_. It smelt of something so… indescribably good, that it mustn't be bad. _Right?_

We sat down at a round, wooden table beside the window and he ordered us two mugs without even looking at the menu, though I was staring at mine like it was written in a foreign language.

"It's not bad, I promise." He attempted to reassure me, but I raised an eyebrow at him daringly.

"Pinky promise?" I held my hand out across the table, pinky out. He looked taken aback.

"I haven't been asked that since I was a kid," he smirked that crooked smile that I was really starting to love. "_Pinky promise_." I giggled as we shook pinkies. He was right, it was childish, but it was too cute to see him smiled crookedly at me. His eyes the color of liquid caramel, or maybe they were amber? With it being dark outside and the room not well lit it was difficult to tell what exact color they were, just that they were stunning and never left my face.

The waiter came and sat down two mugs of dark, steaming liquid in front of us. Lee sipped his eagerly, though careful with the hot coffee.

"Mmm," he licked his lips, and I gulped nervously, noticing how nice his lips looked, and the slight stubble on his upper lip and chin. "Try it." I blushed, realizing that I was staring, and looked down into the milky liquid. The sweet smell was relaxing, and I brought it to my lips cautiously. He burst out laughing when I scrunched my nose in disgust.

"_Blah__hh_" It tasted awful! How could he like it? "You lied to me!" I accused, he only laughed harder. I reached over and punched his upper arm, though it probably hurt me more than him, because his arms felt like pure muscle. I'd really like to touch them again…

"I'm sorry," he chuckled. "I guess it's an acquired taste." I stuck my tongue out at him, and he smirked. "So you're not going to finish that?" I slid the ceramic mug towards him.

"You can have the rest, you tasteless liar."

He chuckled and reached over to push a stray curl behind my ear. "Cute." He said it like it meant _Touché_ .

I giggled and blushed, realizing that he was talking about me, as I silently wished his hand would stay there.

0o0o0o

They walked arm in arm down the deserted road, laughing the whole way about nothing in particular. When they turned down the alley way towards her apartment, he knew the night was coming to a close, though he was not yet willing to let her leave him.

"This was a lot of fun, Lee." She said as they stopped in front of her apartment door for the second time that night. The lights flowing out of the window indicated that her brother was indeed waiting up for her.

"Yeah, it was," he agreed thoughtfully, unable to look her in the eye because of his nerves. Her ocean blue eyes looked up at him from under long, dark lashes, her blush becoming a nearly permanent fixture on her face. "We should…. Do it again sometime," he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, she giggled and nodded.

"Defiantly," then, to his surprise, she stood up on her tiptoes to plant a delicate kiss on his cheek. "Thank you Lee, for everything." His cheeks burnt like the fire he bent, his face going blank except for the goofy grin on his lips.

"Y-Yeah, no problem." He cleared his throat awkwardly, giving her one last crooked grin before she disappeared behind the wooden door.

He smiled as he walked back towards his own apartment, thinking to himself; _Maybe Ba Sing Se isn't such a bad place after all…_

0o0o0o

After I had shut the door, I burst into a fit of giggles. Sokka, who had been fixing the dining table, took it as crying and rushed over to comfort me.

"Katara, what's wrong?" He looked at me with a terrified expression, no doubt thinking I was having late reactions about the robbery.

I smiled at him, blushing. "Nothing, everything's perfect." He raised his eyebrow at me like I'd gone crazy but I ignored him and skipped into my room. After I'd closed the door I snatched out my diary from under my pillow and wrote down the night's events in vivid and girly detail.

Outside the door, I could hear Sokka mumbling to himself, probably about how crazy I was being. Little did he know I was having the greatest night of my life!

I shoved my face in my pillow so Sokka wouldn't hear my squeal of happiness.

0o0o0o

The next day at work, Zuko fully expected to see Katara. Each time the front door opened and the little bell on the handle jingled he'd look up expecting to see her face. By noon Pao was starting to get nosy.

"Expecting someone?" he asked after another customer had come in and Zuko's head had popped up to look.

"N-not at all," his left eye twitched, lying was defiantly not his strong suit. Why he had ever thought he could live a secret life was a mystery.

"Hmm," Pao rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Katara won't be here for a couple hours."

"I'm not expecting anyone," Zuko said smoothly, implying that he should drop the subject. Pao grinned knowingly and continued helping customers.

"Lee, please take this to the young lady at table three?" Pao ordered politely. Zuko nodded and grabbed the silver tray, taking it to said girl. He grimaced when he realized she was the girl he'd hooked up with the night Katara stood him up—or so he thought. Now that he knew the circumstances behind her absence he felt doubly guilty for falling into the flirtatious woman's arms. Now she smiled at him, brushed back her messy brown hair, and batted her long eyelashes. She'd been sitting at the same table nearly all day, always seeming unsure and nervous. He placed the cup on the table, hardly looking at her. She looked down and mumbled a small _thank you_ before he walked back to the counter.

Awhile later he heard a female voice from behind him. "Thank you for the tea," he looked and saw the same girl from earlier. "What's your name?" _Why would she want to know that?_ He asked himself. _Could it be a trick? Doesn't she remember? Is she playing at something?_

"My names Lee," he turned to face her as she handed him the money for her drink. He turned his back to her, inferring that she should leave him alone if she knew what was good for her, unfortunately she either didn't get the hint, or refused to leave him alone.

"Hi Lee, my name is Jin. Thank you and, well, I was wondering if you'd like to go out sometime?" _no hidden meaning in that, _he noted. _She must not recognize me, _Zuko figured. She had been a little tipsy.

He turned back to her, blushing. "I, um-"

"He's busy," he recognized that voice, behind Jin stood a shorter, tan girl, who he was becoming more and more interested in.

Jin turned to look at Katara, who had her arms crossed and was glaring at Jin. She looked incredibly challenging, and Zuko made a mental note to never get on her bad side.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were involved," she said to Zuko embarrassedly, before slumping her shoulders and slinking out of the shop.

Zuko grinned at Katara. "Thanks for saving me, I owe you." He leaned over the counter to kiss her on the cheek, causing her to blush. It was a gutsy move he wouldn't normally do, but worth it.

"Don't forget, you already owe me for the rest of your life." She reminded him. Zuko smiled crookedly.

"That's true," he turned to shout at Pao in the kitchen. "I'm taking my break now." Then he hopped over the counter—looking exactly like a teenager instead of the responsibly adult he tried to be—and led Katara to a table.

She smiled at him as they sat down. "So how's your day been?" she made an attempt at small talk.

"Better now that you're here."

She blushed and looked down at her hands. "I can't believe that girl was trying to ask you out," Katara was trying not to sound overbearing as a blush crept to her cheeks. He could see the jealousy in her eyes, and for a moment he felt a little proud.

Zuko snorted. "I don't think she was _trying_, she just came out and said it!" She laughed and rolled her ocean blue eyes.

"Some guys like straightforwardness," she hinted.

"Some, but not me." He said.

She looked up, trying to keep the curiosity from showing on her face. "Really?" She questioned doubtfully.

"Really. I've always had a thing for the quieter girls, like you." Zuko was really trying his hardest to be charming, he wasn't sure if it was working though. Katara giggled at his comment and looked back down at her hands. It obviously wasn't going to badly.

"I'm not that quiet once you get to know me."

He smiled crookedly, "Then I'm looking forward to getting to know you." She smiled at him, her shinning blue eyes meeting his from across the table, and suddenly he was nervous again.

"And I'm very much looking forward to getting to know the real you," she countered smoothly. _Uh oh_, he thought, trying to keep the fear he felt from showing on his face.

"Uh, there's not much to know." He said carefully, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "I'm pretty boring." He was surprised when she shook her head in denial, a knowing smirk playing on her ruby lips.

"I don't think you're boring, I think there's a lot you're not sharing." _Crap!_

He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants nervously, "What makes you say that?" _How could she know that? Could she be a spy? What if she's only here to bring me back to Azula? _

A million questions rang threw his mind as to why she could suspect something of him. He was never a good liar, but she wouldn't know his tell. She hardly knew him! Unless she was working for Azula, then she would know everything about him! And she was just using his heart to lure him into Azula's trap! Maybe she wasn't a Waterbender at all, maybe she was just telling him that to take away the suspicion that she could be a spy from the Fire Nation, or worse, an assassin! But if she were an assassin she would have killed him by now, it's not like she didn't have the opportunity. But maybe Azula was just playing with him, waiting until he fell for this girl so she could do the dirty deed herself.

When she opened her mouth to reply his heart nearly froze in anticipation, he could feel the beads of sweat on his temple.

If she attacked him he would be forced to use Firebending, but with so many witnesses he would most likely be captured by the Dai-Li. What if Azula had infiltrated Ba Sing Se? He remembered her plan to build a machine that would drill a hole through the outer wall. But she had had that idea when they were kids, just after the siege of Ba Sing Se, where his uncle had failed to claim the great city in the name of the Fire Nation. For that, he was marked as a failure. An embarrassment to the Fire Lord, something Iroh and Zuko had in common. Something Azula would never feel, because she was just _so perfect_. It made him sick to think about her, about how she could be tracking him, using this girl as bait, and possibly taking over the Earth Kingdome right at that very moment.

He gulped, and began mentally preparing himself for a fight. She could even be a Firebender like him, which could have been why he knew she was a bender.

As she began to speak he focused intently on her words, reviewing each one for any possible clue that would suggest her being either a spy or an assassin with orders to bring him back to Azula.

She put her elbows on the table and looked at him seriously, slightly tilting her head to one side. "You talk about yourself very carefully, specifically your past. Like you're keeping a dark secret that no one is allowed to know." She wanted to know his secrets; that he could easily tell.

She leaned half way across the table, and he did the same, their faces only inches away from each other. She bit her lips as he absent-mindedly leaned closer, ever so slightly tilting his head to the side. He could feel her hot breath, and smell her sweet scent. Her eyes began to drift closed as he came the slightest distance closer, nearly standing up out of his seat to meet her lips.

But she continued biting her lips as he parted his. He could tell she had something more to say. He paused in his advance, giving her a moment to collect her thoughts and get out what she needed to say.

She opened her eyes and looked into his cautiously, "I think… I think your keeping something from me, something important." She had no idea how spot-on she was to the truth.

He sighed; the moment was lost. He leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek, then pulled away completely and sat back in his chair. She did the same, a look of disappointment written clearly on her face.

"Have you thought that maybe it was to keep you safe?" He tried, possibly giving away too much but he was in a what-the-hell kind of mood. Katara gave him a determined look as she crossed her arms over her chest like a guilty child about to be punished. He studied her face, trying to figure out if she was mad at him, or if she was just confused.

Finally she spoke up, "I don't think this is going to work out." His eyes widened in utter and complete shock.

"What? How could you say that?" He demanded, she just looked at the ground.

"I can't be with someone who's going to keep secrets, and I can already tell that you will." She said firmly, refusing to look him in the eye.

"Katara I… I don't know what to tell you-"

"How about the truth?" suddenly she was standing up, her hands flat on the table, with an angry look in her eyes. Zuko hesitated a moment too long and Katara turned to leave.

"Ok," he stood up and grabbed her shoulder. She turned and looked at him carefully, "From now on I will only tell you the truth." She smiled triumphantly, and he could sense this wasn't going to be the first time she got exactly what she wanted.

"Oh Lee-" she made to hug him but he grabbed her by the shoulders and held up a single finger in front of her face.

"But," she frowned, "you have to promise not to ask any questions." She sighed, and took a moment to deliberate.

"Fine. But I want a full explanation eventually," She required. Zuko grinned at her and kissed her forehead.

"Eventually," he agreed, mentally hoping beyond hope they actually lasted that long. Katara giggled and stood up on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck and hug him. At first he was a little shocked, but didn't hesitate long before wrapping his arms around her small and delicate waist.

"Does this mean we're…?" She hid her face in his shoulder, but he knew she was blushing madly.

"I think so," he blushed and squeezed her tighter. He felt her giggle into his neck.

"I have a _boyfriend_," he heard her say to herself, as she went into a fit of giggles. He couldn't help but smile crookedly to himself.

_He had a girlfriend…_

_Yay! Their together! _If you read this and say "hey wait, this is totally wrong, people don't get together like that!" well then I apologize, I really wouldn't know the correct way. But I wanted theirs to be totally informal and confusing! Yes that was my goal. It had to be awkward and embarrassing for poor Zuzu, I absolutely love making him feel uncomfortable!

If you're thinking 'this story aint going nowhere', well you're sadly mistaken. I have big plans for this story, that's why I've been neglecting my others.

!REVIEW & SUBSCIBE!


	4. Meeting The Past And Hoping For A Future

It's getting really hard to come up with chapter names that have HOPE in them….

Chapter 4

**Meeting the Past and Hoping for the Future**

They walked hand in hand down Market Street, Zuko carrying her basket while she picked out all her groceries and chatted on and on about life in the Southern Water Tribe. In that moment, Zuko's life was perfect. There was no need to worry, and no reason to look over his shoulder every five seconds. _Is this what it feels like to be normal?_ He contemplated with a bit of happiness. He had everything a simple man could want at his age; a steady job, a nice place to live, and a lovely girl holding his hand and talking to him without carefully selecting her words. He was actually… happy. This thought led him to remember something Azula had mentioned once, _when you feel like you're on the top of life, you can only go down from there._ Zuko winced at the memory, but Katara was too busy talking to notice his lapse.

Though he couldn't focus on the words she was saying, her voice rang like a thousand bells; creating a music so enticing, he couldn't help but be overcome by its melody.

Suddenly, she gasped and stopped walking, jerking him to a stop as well. She ducked behind his back, hiding her face behind his shoulders.

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly, she looked almost scared.

She pointed a few yards ahead. "You see that guy with the brown hair?"

"Uhh… Katara?" he turned around to face her, but she just cowered in front of him, looking over his shoulder. "That narrows it down to about the whole world." She rolled her eyes.

"He's standing between a tall guy with a bow and a short boy with face paint," he looked again then turned back to her with a mocking grin.

"That's a girl, Katara." He smirked.

"You don't know that," she challenged, putting her hands on her hips defensively.

"Actually I do, I've met them. I think the leader's name is Jet." She gaped at him for a second, then mumbled something that sounded like a cuss word, and yanked him by the wrist into a colorfully decorated clothing tent.

"How do you know him?" She demanded, shrinking behind a rack of green tunics.

"I met them on the ferry from Full Moon Bay," he said, "why?" Katara blushed for a reason unknown to him.

"Well… he's kind of my ex-boyfriend." She answered with embarrassment. His eyes widened and he could only stare at her in disbelief.

"You're _what_?" He demanded, suddenly angry. She opened her mouth to continue but then suddenly dropped to her knees behind the display rack.

"Don't let him see me!" she ordered, carefully crawling over to the changing rooms, soon after entering she reached out from behind the curtain, grabbed the front of his shirt, and yanked him inside with her.

"Why don't you want him to see you?" he asked curiously, wondering if Katara was just too embarrassed to be seen with a peasant like _Lee_, or if this guy was trouble.

"Because he can't know I'm here in Ba Sing Se," she opened the curtain slightly to peek outside. Suddenly she gasped and fell back into his arms.

"What the-!" He got out half his sentence before a woman interrupted him.

Before them stood a short, stubby woman with her hands on her hips, looking at them warningly. "I'm sorry children, but this is a family shop, and I don't appreciate young couples' public displays of affection in my changing rooms."

He felt the blush rise on his cheeks as he realized what this must look like. "Uh, we weren't…"

"He was just leaving," Katara quickly shoved him out of the changing room and shut the curtain behind him, leaving him standing awkwardly beside the shop owner.

She gave him a warning look, before leaving him to attend to the rest of her customers.

He sighed in relief, then winced when his alias' name was called.

"Lee? Is that you?" Jet smirked, walking up to him and patting him once on the shoulder. "It is you, long time no see." He said, rolling his signature piece of straw between his fingers.

"Yeah," Zuko agreed, irritated by his presence now that he knew he had been with Katara. "Nice to see you again." He lied.

"You don't have to be so formal, Lee." He rolled his eyes while Smellerbee and Longshot stood uncomfortably behind him. "So who's the bitch you got in there?" He provoked.

Zuko smirked, but before he could say anything the curtain to the changing room opened.

"Katara?" Jet's jaw dropped.

"Hello Jet," she sneered, coming to stand next to Zuko so he could put his arm over her possessively. Katara smiled wickedly at Jet, clearly showing off. "Longshot, Smellerbee." She greeted politely, they only nodded in response, just as shocked by her appearance as their leader.

"Katara, what are you doing here? And with _him_?" Jet demanded, shocked. He sent a death glare at Zuko, who only continued to smirk and hug Katara tighter.

"This," Katara turned her head so she could look at Zuko, "is my boyfriend."

Jet growled, his face mangling in fury. "I can see that…" Zuko frowned at him, silently daring him to make a scene while he shifted his stance, readying for a fight if necessary. Though he couldn't Firebend here, he was still a master swordsman and a badass at hand-to-hand combat. Jet noticed the movement and squared his shoulders. "I guess I'll see y'all around," he sent Zuko one more glare, then stomped out of the tent, his followers right on his heels.

Once they were out of site, the couple burst into a fit of laughter.

"Did you see his face?" she giggled, covering her mouth to keep from laughing too loudly.

"You must have made quite the impression on him," he chuckled, kissing the top of her head.

She giggled, shoving him away playfully. "You could say it was mutual." She said, taking his hand and leading him out of the shop and back into the merchant street.

Zuko raised an eyebrow at her, suddenly a little jealous. "What do you mean by that?"

She shrugged a shoulder nonchalantly. "If I'm not allowed to ask questions about your past, I don't think you should be able to ask me." She said, raising her eyebrow challengingly. He shook his head in exasperation, and they stopped walking once they were atop a bridge crossing a narrow stream.

"Katara," he stood in front of her, cupping her face in his hand. "In due time, I promise."

She gave him a tired smile, leaning into his hand. "That's what you keep telling me, but we've been dating for over a week and you still haven't…" She trailed off, a blush creeping to her cheeks as she looked towards her feet.

"Haven't what?" He raised an eyebrow at her curiously. She bit her bottom lip and her blush deepened.

"Kissed me."

After a slight moment of shock he chuckled and lifted her chin, making her look him in the eye. He leaned in closer to her, feeling her breath on his face as his heart beat violently in his chest. Her eyes drifted shut as she stood on her tiptoes expectantly.

Then they kissed.

It was slow, but sweet. When they separated a few seconds later they both had to take a deep breath. Zuko's heart pounded against his ribcage from his nerves. Palms sweaty, and utterly scared that she might reject him, he smiled down at her crookedly.

She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck, crushing her lips to his in a more heated kiss. He staggered backwards slightly from the force of her weight but held her waist tight. His mind wiped clean of anything that didn't involve her lips on his.

He pulled away reluctantly and in need of air, both of them grinning stupidly at the other.

An elderly couple passing by chuckled at them and Zuko heard the old man say to his wife: "Were we ever that in love?" The woman smiled and rolled her eyes. "Young love… It's a chronic illness." The old man replied. She shrugged and the coupled continued walking. Zuko wanted to laugh but was too involved in memorizing every move of Katara's lips.

0o0ooo

He walked me back to my apartment—I still couldn't bring myself to call it home—and stopped at the door to kiss me goodbye.

"You should come in." I told him. I know it was selfish to think he only had time for me, but what can I say, he's supposed to be mine right?

He grinned crookedly and cocked his head to the side. "I have the late shift tonight, but I really do wish I could stay." I know he meant it. His eyes said it all. We might have only been dating for a week, but today was a major milestone in our relationship and I wasn't ready to end the day.

"Please?" I cooed, playing on his affection for me. I saw the deliberation in his face, but his fondness for me must have won out against his paying job because he leaned in and brushed my lips once more before following me inside.

Luckily Sokka and I had cleaned the place up so it was almost as nice as before the robbery. But I still felt the need to tidy things up for Lee as we walked through to the kitchen that was separated from the small living area by a countertop.

He had been carrying my groceries all day and sat the basket on the counter and I started preparing dinner. It was a wonder I got anything done with him around. I was supposed to be making dinner for Sokka, but I kept pausing to kiss Lee. Whether it was chopping tomatoes and he hugged my waist from behind, or boiling the noodles and him twirling my hair between his fingers; I couldn't keep focus.

While he sat on the counter and watched me strain the noodles with that lustful look in his eyes, I reluctantly decided it was time to end this perfect day.

"Lee, you know I like you a lot." I gave him an apologetic smile and his face immediately fell to a look of concern. "But my brother's going to be home soon and…" His concern faded into amusement and he grinned crookedly at me, sending the nearly constant butterflies in my stomach to flutter energetically.

"You don't want him to meet me yet." It was no question. He knew.

"Don't take it the wrong way I just… Don't think he's ready." It had been only a week since I was attacked, and the bruises were just starting to fade. I had hinted to Sokka that I was seeing someone… But that it was really more of a close friendship than a romantic relationship. Obviously I had hoped that would change, and it had! Now I just had to figure things out from here…

"I understand Katara," his voice saying my name nearly sent chills up my spine. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but must have decided against it because he hopped off the counter and leaned in to give me a deep kiss. There was nothing awkward about it. His lips were soft and sure. "I'll see you tomorrow." I could only nod, not trusting my voice. He chuckled and pecked my lips once more before showing himself out. Half of me was glued to the spot I was standing in because my mind was still floating from his kiss, but my other half wanted to chase after him and give him a proper goodbye.

A few minutes after he left I was able to steady my breathing enough to resume cooking the meal, but my mind was far away with Lee. Just like my heart soon would be.

"How was work?" I asked Sokka while putting the bowls of noodles and tomato sauce on the table.

He shrugged and started piling noodles into his bowl. "Same old, same old. It's not as exciting to be a fisherman as I thought it would be."

"Technically you're only the manual labor," I joked while waiting for him to give me some of the food that _I_ had cooked.

"Emphasis on the _man_," he added. I laughed and we ate in comfortable silence. "What 'bout you? How was your day?" I swallowed and took a big gulp of water. Stalling for time until I could think of something to tell him. Even if I did try and lie to him he would know. I suck at lying.

"Lee and I went to the market," I said cautiously, watching his face for any sign of… well, anything. He could very well be mad that I trusted someone this soon after what had happened. Or he could decide that it wasn't a good idea for us to make a life here and try and make me stop seeing Lee. Like hell that was going to happen!

"You don't think you're… rushing things with this guy?" Sokka didn't seem angry, just thoughtful and protective. "I mean, you hardly know him. He could be from the Fire Nation for all we know." I rolled my eyes at his paranoia.

"Lee's not from the Fire Nation, Sokka. He's practically the nicest guy I've ever met. He's sweet, and funny…"

"You've got that look."

"What look?"

"That mushy, ooy-gooy look you used to get when you were with Jet." He frowned, thinking of how Jet had broken my heart.

I thought about telling Sokka that I had run into Jet at the market, but knowing that creep was in Ba Sing Se was bad enough for me to know, let alone Sokka. He would probably go looking for him. Sokka didn't need to worry about me running into Jet and things going wrong, he already had enough things to worry about that involved me. I didn't want to add anymore to that list than necessary.

So I bit my tongue and smiled at him innocently.

Maybe it _was_ time for Sokka and Lee to meet… or maybe not….?

O0o0o

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	5. Here's To Hoping It Goes Well

On my last chapter I got a review from an anonymous person that asked if the title of this story, "Formless Hope", came from the song by Trading Yesterday called "Change My Name", and I want yall to know that if you were wondering the same thing that YES, the title did come from that song. Anyway, I love the song, and some of the lyrics reflect the story in a read-between-the-lines sort of way.

Anyway! Please enjoy and tell me what you thought! I love hearing drawn out reviews that you think are way too long! Seriously, the more words the better! Tell me what you think and I may give you the plotline of the story so you can stop tearing your hair out about it. I've been known to do that once or twice because I probably won't get around to finishing this; despite everything I have about it in my head.

Chapter 5

Hoping It Goes Well

Zuko lay in his cot, staring at the plain ceiling of his apartment in the lower ring. It wasn't much. Nothing really. A single room with a closet sized washroom and a mediocre kitchen all summed up with a single window that was too dusty to see out of. But it was cheap. And that is all Zuko cared for right now.

His royal ancestors were probably rolling over in their graves at the thought of the Prince living in a rat-infested apartment in the lower ring of Ba Sing Se. He could hardly believe it himself! He was royalty for Agni's sake!

Luckily he was making enough money to save up for a nicer place, but he could still only afford a one-room apartment in the lower ring. If only he had thought to steel more money from the Fire Nation treasury—it wasn't like they needed it. But at the time he was only fourteen, and the thought of stealing from his own country was, _at the time_, too hideous to dwell on.

His only smart decision had been saving the money supplied to him by his father after banishment; in hopes of saving it for an emergency or giving it back when he returned with the Avatar. However, that not happening, he had at least put the money to good use: buying himself a pass to Ba Sing Se—and the bribes that went with it—and paying for his first meal in the city.

Now, with a little extra money, he could afford to pay for a nice night out with Katara on their two month anniversary—one month wasn't a big deal. It would have been awkward to celebrate relationship so delicately established.

What racked his mind was trying to decide what to do!

_Should I take her to a nice restaurant? Would that be too much? Are a couple months really a big deal? What about three months? I'll have to top what I do now._

These unanswered questions currently disturbed the Banished Prince more than the thought of being captured and tortured by Azula. _That_ was saying something.

He growled in frustration and flipped over to bury his face in his pillow. _Uncle would know what to do. He always knew._ The depressing thought of not having the help of his uncle made him miss the old man even more.

Shoving that unpleasant thought away, he pulled the blankets over his head and tried to catch a few hours of sleep before dawn.

O0o0o

I was supposed to meet Lee at the train station early in the morning. It was my day off, and I had wanted to sleep in… But this was my drop-dead gorgeous boyfriend we were talking about here! Plus the fact that I have been calling him my boyfriend for two months was something to celebrate.

I hoped he wouldn't go overboard. I didn't expect anything from him. He probably had less money than Sokka and me.

That's why it confused me to be meeting him at the train station in the center of the Lower Ring, but I went anyway. I mean, it wasn't like I was going to deny a date with the most gorgeous man in the Earth Kingdom, right?

"There you are," Lee greeted me when I reached the top of the large steps that led to the platform of the train station. He was leaning against a round pillar, with his hands in his pockets and the wind blowing his raven hair in his face. For a moment my breath caught, and I swore my heart skipped a beat.

His gold eyes stood out in dark contrast with his scar—the one he never mentioned and I didn't ask about even though it was killing me. The way he grinned crookedly toward me made me want to look around to make sure it was me he was looking at. The only thing that made this picture of pure beauty just a little off was how his green cloths didn't seem to… fit him. He wore them well or course, but the style didn't quite suit his personality. I couldn't put my finger on it, but something made me wonder how he would look in something of a different color…

Before I could ponder the thought any longer, he glided over to me and pressed his lips to mine tenderly.

I hummed into his mouth and stood on my toes to reach him, but he pulled away before I was satisfied. Lee grinned crookedly down at me, clearly amused by my desperate attempt to be near him.

"Hello to you too," I said, smiling a bit goofily at him while I subtly tried to catch the breath he had knocked out of me with that kiss. He chuckled and brushed a strand of hair away from my face, his touch leaving warm traces on my skin. He kissed me once more before standing up strait—I don't think I'll ever get over how tall he is—then took my hand and laced his fingers through mine.

"Where are we going?" I asked a little apprehensively. It wasn't that I didn't trust him. But I was still getting over the robbery incident, even if it was over a month ago, I was still cautious… I knew I should talk to Lee about it, but a part of me wanted to forget that fear and move on.

"Well," Lee began, "I couldn't think of anything for us to do so I decided we could just walk around the upper ring. What do you think?" I couldn't help the silly smile. He was just so _perfect_. How could he have known that I didn't want him to make a big deal? I didn't mention anything, and he couldn't have afforded much anyway.

"That sounds perfect," I squeezed his hand as we paid for our tickets and got on the train.

0o0o

Just walking around the upper ring turned out to be a better idea than Zuko had thought. Katara was in awe of the beautiful city, it was so much nicer than the lower ring.

They spent most of their time holding hands and commenting on how bizarre the people dressed here. It was like an entirely different country. With elegant headdresses and fancy robes, it was almost like everyone here thought they were Royalty. Zuko could only imagine what these people were thinking of him as they walked by; a lowly peasant with a battle wound and a cute little girlfriend._ If only they knew,_ he thought with grim amusement. The irony of it all was laughable, but of course he couldn't share any of that with Katara.

"Why would a woman want her hair to be that tall?" Katara gawked in amazement after they passed a large woman with her hair in a big bunch on top of her head.

Zuko was about to reply with a sarcastic comment when Katara's face lit up and she yanked him over to a small shop with various accessories on a show table. Everything looked expensive, and Zuko could tell just by glancing at the objects that a majority of it was from the Fire Nation—they were known for making fancy jewelry and bags to trade with the rest of the world. These things were obviously brought into the Earth Kingdom illegally. It gave Zuko a grim reminder that the people funding the war effort were usually the ones being destroyed by it.

Katara was admiring some gold bracelets when an idea came to him, and while she was distracted looking at a dress, Zuko scanned the necklaces and grabbed the one he liked best, then handed the merchant two silver pieces. Probably more money than the necklace was worth, but hey, it was a gift. The merchant winked at him and smiled suggestively as if to say: "Good choice boy, you're getting some tonight."

"Oh Lee look over there," Zuko chuckled at her short attention span and fallowed her across the street where a boy sat on a wooden crate playing a Tsungi horn. Despite feeling sorry for him the boy wasn't very good, and Zuko could tell by the way he looked that he wasn't poor. His shirt though a bit wrinkled was freshly washed, his hair free of dust, and his shoes looked brand new. Not to mention the Tsungi horn was made by a popular Fire Nation company that sold their products at very high prices—Zuko had owned a similar one while he was in school.

But Katara didn't notice these trivial facts. She only saw a little boy playing his music on the street for tips. The look in her eyes showed only love and compassion when she turned to Zuko and put a hand on his arm.

"Lee," she said so sweetly he was instantly hanging on her every word. "May I barrow a copper piece?" He _should_ have objected. He _should_ have told her the boy didn't need the money the way he did, and he _should_ have demanded to know why it was so important for her to help when the whole world was struggling.

But he didn't do any of those things. He handed her the money with a smile on his face. His pride told him he did it because otherwise she would have started asking questions he wasn't prepared to answer. But his subconscious knew it was because he was willing to buy her anything just to make her happy; and it did make her _so_ happy when he gave her the coin. That smile made him want to give her everything in the world so long as he got to see that smile again.

At midday they bought ice cream from a stoutly vendor who's prices were too high, and sat on the side of a large fountain to enjoy the day a little longer before having to head back to the lower ring. While Zuko leaned back on his hands comfortably and waited for Katara to finish her ice cream—he, being a man, had eaten his in practically a single bite—she looked at him thoughtfully and tilted her head to the side.

He raised an eyebrow at her in amusement. "Admiring the scenery?" he said a little arrogantly. She rolled her eyes but giggled and looked down.

"Actually, I was just wondering how old you are." She tried to make it sound like a statement, but he could hear the underlying curiosity in her voice. He had told her not to ask questions about him, but he could see how this one would be difficult to decide if it was ok to ask or not.

He shrugged. "Seventeen." She nodded and licked her ice cream—Zuko half wished he hadn't bought her the stuff; the way she licked it was too… evocative.

"Can I ask you something?"

"That depends on the question," he stated simply. She sat her ice cream down beside her and looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and determination.

"Why are you here? In Ba Sing Se." Zuko paused. He knew he couldn't tell her he was from the Fire Nation, but he didn't want to lie to her either. But maybe if she started assuming he was from the Fire Nation, she wouldn't be scared of him? Otherwise she would think he was a serial killer and break up with him…

Deciding he'd risk it, he sat up and casually took one of her hands in his and tried his hardest to look indifferent. "There are not a lot of reasons why I decided to come here. Mostly it just seemed easiest, but also…" He gulped and looked away from her, not wanting to see her face or what she would assume. "My family doesn't want me around, and Ba Sing Se is the last place anyone will look for me."

He could tell by how she stiffened that she wasn't happy with that answer, then she yanked her hand away and crossed her arms over her chest. She was frustrated and confused about him, and he knew he wasn't helping himself by being so vague.

"When you told me you were from Goaling… was it the truth?" her voice was demanding and he looked up at her to see her face was lined with anger.

"Katara…" he pleaded softly. She didn't look away from him, and her expression changed to exasperation and hurt.

"Will you tell me?"

"I…"

"Lee-"

"OK." _Again she gets exactly what she wants, _Zuko thought grimly. But what made the decision for him was her calling him by Lee. That wasn't his name, and he hated that she thought he was someone he wasn't.

In the back of his mind he remembered being eleven years old, half awake, seeing his mother for the last time. She'd told him to '_never forget who you are'_, and for most of his life he hadn't had the slightest idea what she meant. But now, after being with Katara and lying to her about who he was; he knew.

"Katara, I'm tired of telling you half-truths," she stiffened and looked like she was going to comment but he cut her off. "The reason I haven't told you these things about me is because… once you know who I am… you won't… _like_ me anymore. I've struggled with doing the right thing in the past, and the way I was raised led me to believe what we stood for was right. But I've realized it isn't. I had to come to Ba Sing Se to get away from it all, from my family, so I could choose what's right and be good." He hesitated and struggled through finding the right words, feeling like an idiot for saying these things. He'd let too much out. She would probably call him out on it soon. At least they could end things before his heart could break too badly.

Suddenly the wind blew stronger, and his shaggy hair was tossed in his face.

Katara attempted to shove back a bit of his hair and looked at him meaningfully in the eyes. She looked like she understood what he was going through, even without knowing the details. It was odd for him to see someone so calm when they should be angry. Any typical person would judge him by his past and from that determine who he'd be in the future, that's what he'd expected from Katara. But she wasn't as narrow minded as typical people. She saw a hurting man with a tragic past, and felt the need to comfort him.

"You know I'm not happy about being lied too." Katara told him. "But I've put up with it because I _do_ like you a lot, and I will still like you when you get through whatever this is. I want to help you. Because," she took a breath, blush rising on her cheeks, a sweet smile lit up her face, "Lee, I -"

"That's not my name." He said abruptly, interrupting her declaration. She was going to say she loved him. Zuko knew she would say it, and part of him knew he didn't deserve it, while the other part couldn't stand for her to say she loved the man he wasn't. _Lee_.

As soon as the words were out of his mouth he regretted them.

She looked startled and blinked at him as if she'd heard wrong. Zuko gave her an apologetic look and shrugged as if to say, "I'm sorry but it's true".

Katara dropped her hands from his shoulders. He could tell by the look on her face that she felt betrayed. "Then… what is your name?" The question hung in the air for longer than it should have, nevertheless he couldn't bring himself to sell himself out, no matter how much he trusted and cared about her.

"I-I…" He wanted to explain, he really did, but the fear of being sent back to the Fire Nation held his tongue.

Katara looked at him with such hurt and fear that it nearly broke him. _Maybe I can tell her… I trust her; she'd never give me up._ While these thoughts were enough to convince him, his paranoid side still wondered if she was a spy. If she were an assassin she would have taken him out by now, he was sure. Unless she was with Azula, in which case her job would be to play with his heart and torture him. And she _was_ torturing him. Without even knowing what she was doing. Her soft caresses. The sweet smiles. Even the way she ate aroused him. She was slowly burning away any hope he had ever had of live alone for the rest of his life. It was driving him insane to think there was a possibility that she was the enemy.

Then suddenly, a revelation came to him.

He didn't care.

Having to look over his shoulder everywhere he went had made him forget the biggest part of who he was. He didn't think things through! And now he was thinking too hard and trying to control his future. A future he was now positive wouldn't be complete unless she was a part of it. If Zuko didn't stop worrying about who could be after him he would miss the beautiful part of life he had left his destiny for. Zuko wanted a normal life, but he wouldn't have one if all he thought about what if Azula was out to get him.

"Zuko." He said his name with pride, not knowing if she'd recognize it as the name of the Fire Nation Prince or not. But then he reminded himself, he didn't care.

"What?" She dragged, blinking.

He briefly glanced around to see if anyone was watching, then came a bit closer to her and started whispering hastily. "My name _is_ Zuko. But I don't want you to use it in public—no, _never_, call me Lee." She opened her mouth to object but he raised a finger to silence her. "If you've heard anything about me, or if you ever do, don't believe it. Everything I've told you is the truth, just vaguely."

Katara blinked at him in confusion. Then he realized; she didn't know who he was. Relief passed through him, relief that she hadn't heard the rumors about him being a heartless bastard who only cared about himself and was banished because he was too much of a wimp to stand up to the Fire Lord, his own father. Obviously the rumors were mostly true, but he didn't want her to know that!

She sighed and pursed her lips, her eyebrows scrunching together in deep thought, and for a moment he was certain his chances with her were over. The look on her face said she was deliberating on whether or not he was crazy, and he began mentally preparing himself for her next words; the words that would surely mean she was done seeing him.

But they didn't come, and he wondered if he had missed them

"I don't understand why you're keeping all this from me," he wanted to tell her it was to keep her safe, but knew it would only make things worse. "But whatever you did in the past is over—though it must have been a pretty big deal for you to go through all this trouble just to hide your _name_," she looked down at the sidewalk and shook her head slowly. "But luckily for you I can tell that you really do hate lying to me, and if you're willing to put up with all of that just to be with me…" she trailed off and he smiled, realizing that she wasn't going to break up with him.

Katara looked up at him under dark lashes and he wanted her more now than ever.

"Your incredible, Katara. I don't deserve you," he said. She smiled as he cupped her face with his hands.

"I know." She smiled confidently, as if she knew there was nothing for her to worry about. Zuko hoped she did. He was relieved beyond expectation that she didn't get upset or angry. Though he was a little disappointed that she hadn't asked if he was from the Fire Nation, because in his head it had seemed pretty clearly worded. But maybe her subconscious was suppressing it.

Nevertheless, Zuko grinned crookedly and passionately pressed his lips to hers. At first she was a bit surprised by his sudden ferocity, then started mimicking what he did.

Nothing about their kissing was awkward or self-conscious; it was easy, like breathing. Everything about her made him feel at home—or rather, not at his home. She welcomed him and understood him, and accepted him for all his faults. He hoped more than anything in the world—more than he had hoped he would find the Avatar—that she would accept him for who he really was: The Banished Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation.

After kissing for a few moments Zuko abruptly remembered his gift.

"Oh, Katara, I almost forgot." Zuko fished the necklace out of his pocket and presented it to Katara. Her eyes widened with surprise and she gasped, clasping her hands over her mouth.

"Lee you didn't have too-"

"I wanted to," he shrugged and moved to put the necklace on her. The necklace was a simple gold chain; the pendant was a shimmering golden rose about the size of a copper piece, with a bright red ruby in the center. She lifted her hair gratefully and he clasped the necklace around her neck, then leaned down to kiss her temple and whisper in her ear: "It's not a betrothal necklace or anything, but think of it as a representation the you're taken." She smiled so radiant it nearly knocked the breath out of him.

"It's beautiful, Le—Zu—I mean—ugh!" She groaned and shook her head in frustration and annoyance. Zuko grinned crookedly. He didn't mind if she stumbled on his name because it meant she knew who he was. Better yet, he was glad she liked the gift.

Zuko was about to kiss her again—Agni knew how much he wanted to spend his entire life kissing her—but he suddenly felt a strong hand gripping his shoulder. Annoyance filled Zuko before he saw the source of the presence and an even stronger emotion surfaced.


	6. Hopes Met

**READ: TO ALL CURRENT FOLLOWERS AND SUBSCRIBERS, DO NOT JUST READ THE STORY AND CLICK FOLLOW. I COULD CARE LESS IF YOU'RE FOLLOWING THIS STORY, I WANT FEEDBACK! GIVE ME A REVIEW OR THE NEXT CHAPTER DOESNT GO UP. **

**And to those who have already read the story before I deleted some chapters, I'm changing things so reread them because you've most likely forgotten what happens. **

Chapter 6

Hopes Met

"Is that you, nephew?" Zuko's eyes widened and he jumped to his feet to look into the very familiar face of his old uncle Iroh. The man who had saved him from becoming a soulless monster like his sister, and who was more a father to him than Ozai ever would be.

"Uncle?"

Iroh's face lit up with joy like the sun rising after a dark storm. The wrinkles in his cheeks pursing together with a smile as Zuko held out a hand for him to shake. Iroh brushed his hand away and nearly crushed him with a hug.

"I've missed you uncle," Zuko said earnestly. His joy at seeing his uncle after so long almost sent tears to his eyes. Iroh didn't have that restraint; his eyes glistened and welled up as he smiled exuberantly at Zuko.

"As have I missed you my nephew."

Their reunion was short lived though, behind Zuko Katara was looking at the old man cautiously, though she was too polite to interrupt. Iroh's face was kind as he smiled. "Zuko let's not be rude, who is this lovely woman you are hiding? Are you going to introduce us?" Zuko proudly put his arm around Katara's waist and pulled her against him.

"This is Katara. My girlfriend," Zuko felt more pleased in that moment than he had in a very long time. To be introducing his uncle to his amazing girlfriend seemed like an honor worthy of a Prince; he had begun to feel that he wasn't one anymore.

Iroh laughed and he held up his arms in excitement. To say he was happy was an understatement. Zuko could imagine why the news was so surprising. Zuko had never been adventurous when it came to dating, and he had often doubted he'd ever find a girl who was willing to put up with him.

"This is wonderful! We should celebrate," Iroh cupped his hand to his mouth and tried to whisper to Katara, but of course Zuko could hear him. "To tell you the truth I never thought my nephew would find a woman, and never one a lovely as yourself." He winked at her and Katara blushed. She wrapped both her arms around Zuko's waist and hugged his side.

"You're right, he is pretty lucky." She grinned playfully at Zuko and he rolled his eyes but smiled crookedly back at her. Katara blushed and removed herself from Zuko, instead lacing her fingers through his. Iroh chuckled at their affection like the happy old man he was.

"Come, we have much to get reacquainted on."

They spent the last few hours of daylight sitting at a table in Iroh's tea shop—he explained that after he and Zuko had parted ways he had decided to open up his own shop and name it the Jasmine Dragon.

Katara told Iroh—with much exaggeration—how the couple had met and how their last two months have been.

Zuko mostly sat and listened; Katara seemed to be getting along with his uncle very well. Iroh also seemed to thoroughly enjoy her company. Zuko was also glad that his uncle didn't accidentally say something about the Fire Nation. But then, Uncle was a bit smarter than Zuko, however much he didn't want to admit it.

The sun was already well gone by the time Zuko realized that he should be getting Katar home. He was probably on thin ice with her brother already, and he didn't want give Sokka any reason not to trust him.

"Before you go," Iroh began as they all stood up to say their goodbyes. "I am in need of an employee, and I have a lovely new apartment that is just too big for a lonely old man. I would greatly appreciate your help in the matter." The way he phrased it was so like him. Too polite with just a bit of neediness to make Zuko do what he wanted. But before he could think about how great the offer sounded, he had to remember that if he moved to the upper ring he'd be moving away from Katara. That thought alone distressed him.

He looked down at her, silently asking for a way out of this. She smiled and nodded encouragingly.

"This is perfect Zuko. Exactly what you needed." Although she was right he was still reluctant, and Iroh could see that in his face.

"I would pay you of course, probably much more than you are making now."

"I don't know…" he looked back at Katara. She rolled her eyes and shook her head as if to say: "boys are so stupid sometimes."

"He'll take it," she happily answered for him.

"Are you sure? I-"

"Yes I'm sure!" she grabbed his hand and started pulling him towards the door. "I had a great time Iroh, and thank you for everything." Iroh nodded once and chuckled at his nephew, who was already having his decisions made for him.

"Why would you do that?" He asked Katara as they rushed to the train station before it closed. She gave him a look that said he was stupid for asking that question.

"Because this was a great opportunity and I couldn't let you pass it up just because of me."

He raised an eyebrow at her and smirked playfully. "What makes you think I was going to pass it up because of you?"

She rolled her eyes. "As if the helpless-puppy-bear face wasn't enough?"

He laughed but didn't argue. She was right anyway. That was starting to happen a lot between sat together on the train on their way back to the lower ring. That's when it finally hit Zuko.

_How am I so lucky?_ The question rang in his mind over and over again while they rode back to the lower ring with his arm rested around her shoulders and he head nestle into his chest. She looked close to sleep and completely at peace, and he was racking his brain wondering how in the world she could be ok with dating someone like him.

Then he understood how she could forget the reasons not to care about him.

She loved him.

Then something even more revolutionary came to him, something that he hadn't realized was happening until now. Something he had fallen into without trying…

…_I love Katara_…

**Oooo did Zuzu just say the L word! or, at lease in his head... Here is a small preview for the next chapt.**

_I skipped over to the door and yanked it open, already knowing who it would be._

_I was faced with my handsome boyfriend leaning on the doorframe with a single orange rose held out to me. I gasped and beamed up at him. He smiled my favorite crooked grin and handed me the rose, then bowed his head down to my height to kiss me tenderly. Something about the heat in the kiss made my skin prickle with desire._

_"Hey," he said huskily, his face still inches from mine. I hummed in acknowledgment and wrapped my arms around his neck to pull him back in for another deep kiss._

_He moaned slightly and held my hips, but like he often did he pulled away before I was satisfied._

_"As much as I'd truly love to stand here all day kissing you," my lips twitch upwards at that, "I think my hands might freeze to your ass. And while I may love that…" he trailed off. To make his point he slid his hands down to grope my backside, making me jump into him and giggle._

**Too short? My thoughts exactly. So if you want more then you must tell me what you thought about this chapter and the story in general!**

**!REVIEW / SUBSCRIBE! but mostly REVIEW!1**


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